“The gap between knowing the rules and exercising professional judgement in complex, real world client situations can only be bridged through structured supervision, live client exposure and supported decision making.”
The advice quality challenge in Australia in 2026, and how we're meeting it
Financial Advice
28-07-2026
The advice quality challenge in Australia in 2026, and how we're meeting it
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When you engage a financial advisor, you are entrusting someone with decisions that will shape your lifestyle, security and legacy for decades. That is why the quality of advice depends so heavily on the quality of the advisor delivering it. Great advisors are not created by chance. They are developed through deliberate education, structured experience, ongoing coaching, and an unwavering commitment to putting clients first.
In Australia in 2026, financial advice is governed by a national professional standards framework that requires new entrants to complete a supervised Professional Year before they can be fully qualified. ASIC (2025) and CPA Australia (2026) confirm this year of work and training must total the equivalent of 1,600 hours, including at least 100 hours of structured training, with a focus on technical competence, client care, regulatory compliance and ethics.
That framework has raised the floor on education and conduct standards. But industry commentary is consistent on one point: technical qualifications alone do not produce great advisors.
As a result, leading firms are moving beyond the minimum, designing Professional Year experiences that embed their own advice philosophies, risk frameworks and client service standards, and investing heavily in how future advisors are trained, mentored and assessed before they work with clients independently.
Our Professional Year program: a purpose-built framework
Partners Wealth Group's Professional Year program is built around the firm's own advice model, client base and partnership structure, rather than treated as a generic compliance obligation. It translates national Professional Year requirements into a structured, practical pathway that reflects how advice is actually delivered across PWG's multi-disciplinary approach to financial advice, investment, lending, superannuation and legal services.
At the core of the program are three development pillars that work together throughout the year:
- Technical training aligned to PWG's advice areas and the broader regulatory environment
- Live client work that gradually increases in responsibility and complexity
- Soft skill and behavioural capability, including communication, ethics, client engagement, and professional judgement
Each associate works through structured monthly learning modules and assessments, reinforcing key concepts and ensuring consistent progress across the four quarters of the Professional Year. Since launching in March 2025, the program has already helped a number of associates step into financial advisor roles across the business, with Cathleen and Stephen the latest to reach that milestone.
“Seeing the difference good advice can make in someone's life is what drew me to this profession. I'm looking forward to building those same long-term relationships with my own clients, and I'm grateful to the team at PWG for backing me every step of the way.”
Top advisors developing the next generation
Partners Wealth Group’s Professional Year Program reflects a long-term commitment to the financial advice profession by investing in structured development from the firm’s top talent, including in-house advisors that are recognised among Australia's best. Managing Director Mathew Cassidy was ranked number 1 in the country in the Barron's Australia's Top 150 Financial Advisers 2025, alongside Rob Hand, Laurence Poulter and Patrick Barry who were also named among Australia's top 150.
“I knew I wanted to become a financial advisor when I first joined Partners Wealth Group in 2021. Since then, I've received an incredible amount of support and mentorship from the advisors and wider team here, helping me get to where I am today,” says Cathleen Armstrong, Financial Advisor & Shareholder.
Throughout the journey I've experienced firsthand the impact that long-term, quality advice makes in our clients' lives, both financially and emotionally, and I'm looking forward to taking everything I've learned to now help clients of my own.”
For clients, this provides confidence that the program is shaped by proven advisors at the highest level. For emerging advisors, it offers a mentored pathway into a profession that is increasingly regulated, demanding and central to the financial wellbeing of Australian households and business owners.
Congratulations to Cathleen, Stephen and every Associate, Professional Year Senior Associate and Advisor building a career at Partners Wealth Group. Great advice is created within Partners Wealth Group by nurturing talented associates and advisors with ongoing development, mentorship and support.
To learn more about the people behind our advice, visit our team. If you are an aspiring advisor interested in a structured, mentored pathway into the profession, read more on the Partners Wealth Group careers page.